Phonological Awareness Phoneme Blending and Segmenting – Classroom Activities

Designed by the Care and Learning Service: Highland Council Emerging Literacy Working Group Draft – March 2016 Acknowledgement: Primary National Strategy (2007) ‘Letters and Sounds: Principles and Practice of High Quality Phonics’ – Phase 1: pgs. 42 – 45. Accessed on: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf

Phoneme Blending and Segmenting Blending – putting phonemes together to make words Segmenting – splitting words into phonemes

Modelled Blending (Focus on single-syllable words)

1. Adult, when giving a set of instructions should segment the last word into separate

phonemes, modelling the blending of these sounds together. e.g. ‘It’s time to get your b-a-g,

bag!’ or Touch your t-oe-s, toes!

2. When sharing rhyming books, segment then blend the last word in a rhyming couplet e.g.

‘I like the sun; outside we have f-u-n, fun!’.

Talking Toy

1. Introduce the children to a toy and share that it can only speak in ‘sound-talk’ Introduce to

the children a soft toy that can only speak in ‘sound-talk’.

2. The adult should ask the toy a question. e.g. ‘What did <insert toy’s name> have for

breakfast this morning?’. The toy should ‘whisper’ into the adult’s ear.

3. The adult to repeat what the toy says. e.g. ‘<insert toy’s name> says that he had t-oa-s-t;

ahh, they had toast!’.

4. The adult can then ask the toy a series of other questions (focusing on single syllable

words) and encourage the children to blend the segmented words together with them.

Here It Is! (a follow-on from Talking Toy)

1. The adult to lay out a selection of objects (or use a selection of pictures) that contain three

phonemes, e.g. leaf, sheep, soap, fish, sock and bus. Check that all of the children have

the vocabulary of the objects/ pictures.

2. Adult to bring out the ‘sound-talk’ toy and ask them to listen carefully when the toy says the

name of one of the objects.

3. The adult to say the object in sound talk, leaving a short gap in-between each sound,

e.g. sh-ee-p, and then blend the sounds e.g. sheep.

4. Children to repeat the single sounds and then blend the word.

Phonological Awareness Phoneme Blending and Segmenting – Classroom Activities

Designed by the Care and Learning Service: Highland Council Emerging Literacy Working Group Draft – March 2016 Acknowledgement: Primary National Strategy (2007) ‘Letters and Sounds: Principles and Practice of High Quality Phonics’ – Phase 1: pgs. 42 – 45. Accessed on: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf

Cross the Bridge

1. The adult to make two lines using tape or chalk. Children to stand behind one of the lines.

The aim of the game is for the children to get from one line to the next line.

2. Each child to be given a picture with a word with three phonemes, e.g. leaf, sheep, soap,

fish, sock and bus. Check that all of the children have the vocabulary of their picture.

3. The adult to say: ‘Take one step forward if you have a picture of a p-i-g’.

4. Those children with a picture of a pig should say ‘p-i-g; pig’ and take one step forward.

5. The game should continue until there is a winner (or winners; in a large group you may

have duplicate cards.

Word Split

1. The adult to lay out a selection of objects (or use a selection of pictures) that contain three

phonemes, e.g. leaf, sheep, soap, fish, sock and bus. Check that all of the children have

the vocabulary of the objects/ pictures.

2. The adult to choose one of the objects: e.g. ‘This is a duck; d-u-ck’.

3. Children to choose one of the objects and repeat.